GLEN SAINT MARY NURSERIES 
Cultural Suggestions 
as it serves to maintain a more equable temperature of the earth and retains moisture. After 
the cover-crop has died down, in the late fall or early winter, it should be turned under, thus 
supplying humus to the soil and putting the land in better mechanical condition. Cover-crops 
should never be turned under in the South while green, as, if this is done, the land becomes 
sour and in poor condition for plant-growth. 
Another point in connection with cover-crop or mulching, and this applies particularly to 
sections subject to damage from frost, is that all vegetable matter should be turned under in 
advance of danger from cold weather. A grove that exposes nothing but clean earth to the 
action of frost will go through the winter in much better shape than one covered with grass 
and weeds. 
Deciduous Trees 
The land for a Peach orchard, and, in fact, for many of the deciduous fruits, should 
be dry or of a character that can be readily drained. Peach trees particularly do not do 
well when planted on low, wet ground. Where possible, soil underlaid with clay is preferable, 
but this is not always possible, nor is it absolutely necessary. For a Peach orchard, it is far 
better to select virgin land, and, in many sections of the extreme South, almost absolutely 
necessary to plant them on land where cow-peas have never been planted. This is on account 
of the fact that in many of the southern soils the root-knot ( Heterodera radicicola) worm is quite 
abundant in old lands, and particularly so in lands that have been planted to cow-peas. The 
root-knot worm seems to be particularly fond of cow-pea roots, and where they are planted 
these worms are generally plentiful. The root-knot worms are also very fond of peach roots, and 
if a tree is set in land infested with them, its roots are liable to become unfavorably affected. 
In planting deciduous fruit trees, the same preparation of land as recommended for citrus 
trees is advisable. It is not often necessary, however, to use lime to any extent on virgin soils 
for peach trees. 
Like citrus, deciduous fruit trees should be severely trimmed back when planted. Too 
often trees are planted with all their tops left on, as many people cannot bring themselves to 
cut back a tree as hard as it should be, or even at all. It looks as if that much of the top were 
being wasted, but, as a matter of fact, if trees are severely trimmed back when transplanted, 
they will almost invariably make larger tops by the end of the first year than if left with their 
tops untrimmed. 
Peach trees are apt to set too much fruit, and this fruit should be thinned out. Commence 
when the fruit is of the size of a marble and continue at intervals until half grown, always 
removing stung or imperfect specimens. At the final thinning, reduce fruit to three or four 
inches apart. A heavily loaded peach tree will produce as much fruit—by measure — if three- 
fourths of the original number set are thinned out; and the value of the fruit on the tree that 
is thinned will be greater than that on the unthinned one. 
If curculio are troublesome, jar peach and plum trees in early morning, frequently after the 
fruit is set, and catch insects in a hopper-like arrangement made for the purpose or a sheet 
spread under the trees. These insects should be destroyed. 
Borers sometimes give trouble with peach trees. The trees should be examined frequently 
near the ground, and the borers, where found, dug out with a sharp-pointed knife. 
The suggestions for fertilizing at time of planting and afterwards, also for cultivation, 
recommended above for citrus trees, apply to most deciduous fruit trees. There are, however, 
some exceptions, as noted below. 
Figs should be planted, if possible, on soil that is compact and rather moist. Fertilizers 
should be applied on the surface and raked in very lightly, or, better still, covered with mulch¬ 
ing. If any cultivation is practised, it should be extremely shallow, as the fig has a mass of 
fibrous roots that lie very near the surface. Deep cultivating or plowing is very injurious. 
As neither Japan plums nor Japan persimmons are subject to root-knot, these trees may be 
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